How to Get Your Kids into the Garden More
We all know that spending time outside in the fresh air is essential for us as humans. For kids, it is a crucial aspect of their health and development.
The good news is that there are lots of ways to encourage your little ones to spend more time in the great outdoors and what better place to start than your own garden? Hopefully, what this means is that they will spend less time on their electronics and more time cultivating good health, curiosity and adventure. Keep reading to find out more . . .
Build it into their routines
One of the smartest ways to help your children spend more time outside is to build it into their everyday routines. This will allow them to get used to it and eventually, it will become second nature to them.
Of course, how you do this is up to you. For example, we like to add it to our list of things to do in the summer before the kids can access their electronic devices. However, heading outside for breakfast (weather and temp allowing) or having some set gardening time can also work equally well. You could even move story time into the garden if you like, and choosing books that are about gardens, plants, and the animals you can find outside will make the experience even better for your kids.
Make sure they feel safe
Another way to help your children get more outside time in the garden is to ensure they feel as safe as possible. After all, none of us is likely to choose to spend time in a place that makes us feel remotely on edge.
There are lots of things you can do to help your child feel safer in the garden including making sure any hazards like loose stepping stones or broken gates are fixed or removed. Bodies of water such as ponds and pools should also be covered with special safety coverings that maintain their rigidity when someone steps on them.
Lastly, you can also ensure that no intruders, human or animal, can get into your garden by adding a fence. Indeed, good quality security fencing will not only make your kids feel safe but also help you relax when they are playing outside because you’ll know they are safely enclosed within your garden. Additionally, security fencing can make your whole property more secure and raise its value too, so it is a win-win investment.
Make it fun
Last, of all, one of the most effective ways to help your little ones spend more time outside in the garden every day is to make it as fun as possible for them to do so (this definitely includes mine when they were really little). For many kids, this means supplying them with outdoor toys such as bikes, scooters, and trampolines.
Although, your younger ones may also enjoy a sand pit, especially if they are into trucks and diggers and they can play for hours in the sand with these. You can even make a sand pit relatively quickly and easily yourself if you like. Just be sure to use the right sand - the stuff that is especially sold for sandpits and cover the pit when not in use.
I'd love to know more about how you've made your outdoor space suitable and engaging for your kiddies. Or, if like many people you don't have an outdoor space, let me know what you do to get your family outside. The local park? A forest walk? A beach day? There are lots of possibilities!
Go well,
Abi
xxx
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